Surgery is more effective than nonsurgical treatment for weight loss and control of some comorbid conditions in patients with a BMI of 40 kg/m2 or greater. More data are needed to determine the efficacy of surgery relative to nonsurgical therapy for less severely obese people. Procedures differ in efficacy and incidence of complications.

BACKGROUNDDespite growing evidence that bariatric/metabolic surgery powerfully improves type 2 diabetes (T2D), existing diabetes treatment algorithms do not include surgical options. AIMThe 2nd Diabetes Surgery Summit (DSS-II), an international consensus conference, was convened in collaboration with leading diabetes organizations to develop global guidelines to inform clinicians and policymakers about benefits and limitations of metabolic surgery for T2D. METHODSA multidisciplinary group of 48 international clinicians/scholars (75% nonsurgeons), including representatives of leading diabetes organizations, participated in DSS-II. After evidence appraisal (MEDLINE [1 January 2005-30 September 2015]), three rounds of Delphi-like questionnaires were used to measure consensus for 32 data-based conclusions. These drafts were presented at the combined DSS-II and 3rd World Congress on Interventional Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes (London, U.K., 28-30 September 2015), where they were open to public comment by other professionals and amended face-to-face by the Expert Committee. RESULTSGiven its role in metabolic regulation, the gastrointestinal tract constitutes a meaningful target to manage T2D. Numerous randomized clinical trials, albeit mostly short/midterm, demonstrate that metabolic surgery achieves excellent glycemic control and reduces cardiovascular risk factors. On the basis of such evidence, metabolic surgery should be recommended to treat T2D in patients with class III obesity (BMI ‡40 kg/m 2 ) and in those with class II obesity (BMI 35.0-39.9 kg/m 2 ) when hyperglycemia is inadequately controlled by lifestyle and optimal medical therapy. Surgery should also be considered for patients with T2D and BMI 30.0-34.9 kg/m 2 if hyperglycemia is inadequately controlled despite optimal treatment with either oral or injectable medications. These BMI thresholds should be reduced by 2.5 kg/m 2 for Asian patients. CONCLUSIONSAlthough additional studies are needed to further demonstrate long-term benefits, there is sufficient clinical and mechanistic evidence to support inclusion of metabolic surgery among antidiabetes interventions for people with T2D and obesity. To date, the DSS-II guidelines have been formally endorsed by 45 worldwide medical and scientific societies. Health care regulators should introduce appropriate reimbursement policies.

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ObjectiveTo determine the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic Rouxen-Y gastric bypass for the treatment of morbid obesity. Summary Background DataLaparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is a new and technically challenging surgical procedure that requires careful study. MethodsThe authors attempted total laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in 281 consecutive patients. Procedures included 175 proximal bypasses, 12 long-limb bypasses, and 9 revisional procedures from previous bariatric operations. The gastrojejunostomy and jejunojejunostomy were primarily constructed using linear stapling techniques. ResultsEight patients required conversion to an open procedure (2.8%). The mean age of the patients was 41.6 years (range 15-71) and 87% were female. The mean preoperative body mass index was 48.1 kg/m 2 . The operative time decreased significantly from 234 Ϯ 77 minutes in the first quartile to 162 Ϯ 42 minutes in the most recent quartile. Postoperative length of stay averaged 4 days (range 2-91), with 75% of patients discharged within 3 days. The median hospital stay was 2 days. No patient died after surgery. Complications included three (1.5%) major wound infections (each followed a reoperation for a complication or open conversion), incisional hernia in 5 patients (1.8%), and anastomotic leak with peritonitis in 14 patients (5.1%). Three gastrojejunal leaks were managed without surgery, four by laparoscopic repair/drainage, and three by open repair/drainage. Only three patients had anastomotic leaks in the most recent 164 procedures (1.8%) since the routine use of a two-layer anastomotic technique. Data at 1 year after surgery were available in 69 of 96 (72%) patients (excludes revisions). Weight loss at one year was 70 Ϯ 5% of excess weight. Most comorbid conditions resolved by 1 year after surgery; notably, 88% of patients with diabetes no longer required medications. ConclusionsLaparoscopic gastric bypass demonstrates excellent weight loss and resolution of comorbidities with a low complication rate. The learning curve is evident: operative time and leaks decreased with experience and improved techniques. The primary advantage is an extremely low risk of wound complications, including infection and hernia.Laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery to treat morbid obesity is a promising but technically demanding and complex minimally invasive procedure. To date, several publications have suggested the procedure can be done with safety and potential benefit, particularly in terms of decreased woundrelated complications, including infections and hernias, at least with short-term follow-up. [1][2][3][4][5] We have had extensive experience with open gastric bypass surgery and maintain a database with more than 2,500 patients, many followed up to 15 years after surgery. We and others have published outcome data for open gastric bypass surgery with outstanding outcomes. 6 -12 Our goal in developing our laparoscopic gastric bypass program was to introduce the procedure while avoiding increased risk for